'It made my skin crawl': When online shopping goes wrong

Online shopping has exploded in popularity in recent years - and for good reason.

It's quick and easy and can all be done from the comfort of your home.

But increasingly, the internet is littered with hilarious, albeit frustrating examples of when buying online goes wrong.

And no, we're not talking about pants that are too big, or dresses that look a bit different to the description.

Online shopping goes horribly wrong for plenty of customers all the time (Nine)

We're talking about full blown online shopping fails.

Kyle Salmons, from the Gold Coast, got a bit of a shock when he bought a pair of board shorts online.

"When I got the shorts out I just noticed there was something in the pockets so I reached in and I just figured it was a tag or something but it was actually a pamphlet for a strip club in Cancun," Kyle told A Current Affair.

On closer inspection, the 24-year-old realised the shorts were also stained.

"I assume that somebody purchased the shorts, wore them on a night out in Cancun, spilt some alcohol on them, stained them and returned them the next day and they just popped a new tag on them, re-packaged them and then sent them over to me."

Kyle Salmons believes he was sent a pair of shorts that had been worn and returned without being checked (Nine)

He shocked to find alcohol stains on the shorts he purchased online (Nine)

A Current Affair's retail expert Gary Mortimer said the rise in online shopping has also brought a rise in complaints.

He warned consumers to be especially careful when products come from overseas retailers.

"We've certainly seen online shopping grow from an overseas perspective and for legislators that's quite challenging because they don't comply with Australian Consumer Law."

"This is very much a case of buyer beware, before you make sure you look at testimonials, product reviews and make sure it's a genuine retailer you're buying from and specifically look at the remedy solutions that are in place."

Rach Daly has another online shopping horror story from when she bought tops from an overseas retailer.

Several days after trying them on, she developed a nasty rash.

"I noticed that I had a really itchy spot on my arm, like a skin irritation," Rach told A Current Affair.

Rach Daly bought tops online from overseas that left her with a skin rash (Nine)

After putting on the top she was left with itchy skin (Nine)

"I was creeped out, I didn't know where they house these clothes, if they're in a warehouse or what, but it made my skin crawl thinking I'd gotten this from some shirts that had been sent over."

So what are your rights when it comes to getting a refund?

Jo Ucukalo, CEO of Handle My Complaint, advises people to take a photo of the item they receive and put their complaints in writing to the retailer.

"Consumers have exactly the same rights if they purchase online or in-store but many and unaware of how to enforce those rights," she said.

"You can get a return if your item doesn't arrive, if it's not as described meaning it doesn't even match the colour and it doesn't do what it should do, so there's plenty of grounds for a return, you just need to be prepared to go through the process."

Experts say customers have the same rights for online shopping as they do in-store but it gets hard when it's overseas companies (Nine)